The French presence in Hearst

Credit: Photo courtesy of Yves Frenette

French Canadians began to settle in Hearst in 1912 during the
construction of the National Transcontinental Railway. Over the years,
the French-speaking community in Hearst – once a minority – grew to 89
per cent of the population with francophones taking on leading cultural,
economic and political roles. Institutions such as the Catholic Church
and the Université de Hearst, founded in 1953, have played important
roles in Franco-Ontarian education and society.

Visit the plaque – In front of Grotto Park, located on Ninth Street opposite the intersection of Kitchener Street in Hearst.